Sash-balance.



No. 743,224. PATENTED NOV. 3, 1903.

W. BERRY.

SASH BALANCE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 9, 1903.

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' W. BERRY.

SA'SH BALANCE.

APPLIOATION FILED JAN. 9, 1903.

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Patented November 3, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

WASHINGTON BERRY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

sAsH-BALANoE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letterslatent N0. 743,224, dated November 3, 1903. A

Application filed January 9.19 s. [ser al No. 138,378. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern,-

Be it known that I,WASHINGTON BERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing'at Chi-H cago, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Sash-Balances, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to spring sash-bah ancing devices of the general nature of that rack upon the upper sash andthe other with a rack upon the lower sash, the force of the spring when wound being exerted upon both pinions and tending to raise both sashes at the same time, the object of course being to provide a single spring-balance for two'sashes instead of a separate device for each sash,'as heretofore employed.

The present invention is in its general purpose and principle similar to that just mentioned; but it differs therefrom in certain important particulars.

One special object is to bring the operative parts into very much smaller space or compass; and a further object resulting from the first named is to produce a spring capable of being contained and of operating in this small space and yet long enough to exert the required amount of torsional force upon both sashes.

There are other special features of construction forming part of my invention which need not be here particularly alluded to, but which are fully hereinafter described, and are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which-- Figure 1 is an elevation showing two pinions adapted, respectively, to bear upon racks in the upper and lower sashes and a spring connecting and actuating both pinions. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of one pinion, the windowcasing being shown in section. Fig. 3 is a section showing the invention as applied to sash of the Pullman-car type, the springs being in line with the windows and located between adjacent windows. Fig. 4 is a detail of the same.

7 In the above-mentioned drawings, A represents the frame or casing of a window of ordinaryconstruction. I assume that it will be understood that the pinions B C engage with racks in the edge of the lower and upper sashes, respectively, and hence I have not illustrated said racks in the drawings.

D represents a case, frame, or box in the window-casin g adjacent to the meeting-rails, provided with bearings E F for the shafts of the pinions B and C, which are engaged on opposite sides of said case, as shown, Fig. 1. The pinion B, which engages with a rack upon the lower sash, is secured upon a shaft .G outside the casing D, and the pinion O for the upper sash is similarly secured upon a pin H, journaled in the case D and the bearing F. The bearing F projects a little farther from the casing than that lettered E in order to afford room for a spur-pinion I, secured upon it, and this pinion I meshes with a similar pinionJ upon a shaft K, which en-j gages by means of a conical bearing with the shaft Gmidway between the pinions. There is thus formed in the small space .inclosed by case Da two-part rotary shaft each member of which is acted upon by the tension of the spring L to rotate it in a different direction from the other, but which together form a support for aspirally-coiled torsionspring which is preferably wound up before being placed in position and which operates both pinions, one directly and the other through the intermediate gearing described. The untwisting action of the spring, as before stated, tends to revolve the two members of the shaft in opposite directions, and in order that this opposite tendency may be changed, so that both the pinions B and G will tend to raise or balance both the upper and lower sash,the pinions I and J are interposed to change the tendency of the shaft K as trans mitted to the pinion C to the same direction as that of the pinion Bthat is, to raise the sash.

As illustrating the simplest form of spring in said shafts through which the ends of the springs pass-or in any other manner. The motion of either sash in descending acting through its proper pinion will tend to wind up the spring and put it under torsional strain; the upper shaft G winding it from one end when its sash is operated, and the shaft K turning in the opposite direction, winding it from the other, and when its shaft is operated, in either of which operations the shaft of the sash which is not operated, remains stationary. It thus exerts its acquired torsional force simultaneously upon both sashes in a tendency to lift them, the force of the spring'when wound, and the weight of the sashes being so proportioned, that they nearly balance one another, leaving but a slight manual effort to be expended in lifting.

In small windows, where little power is re quired, one balancing device upon one side will ordinarily be sufficient; but in heavy windows it will perhaps be necessary to provide an attachment for each side. In such a case I may remove the pinions I and J and secure the pinion 0 directly upon shaft K.

It will thus receive a tendency of motion in a direction opposite to that of shaft G, and if the pinion on shaft G is wound so as to raise the lower sash that on shaft K tends to lower the upper sash. On the opposite side of the window the pinions act reversely 011 the respective sashes. Sufficient winding is given the springs when the sashes are first placed in position to hold them suspended at or near the top. When the lower sash descends, the increasing force of the spring being wound upon one side is counteracted by the downward pressure exerted by the spring acting in an opposite direction upon the opposite side of the same sash.. When the lower sash reaches the bottom, the pressure is still equalized, since the spring on one side has lost what that on the other has gained. This obviates edges of the sashes.

provided, asin applications of even date here-' the difficulty heretofore met with of overcoming a constantly-increasing resistance of the spring as it is wound. WVhat is true of the lower sash also applies to the upper, and thus both sashes are preserved in equilibrium at all points, while at the same time no greater force need be applied to the sash in winding the spring at any one point than at any other point.

In Figs. 3 and 4 I haveindicated the application of the invention to sashes of the Pullman-car type, the springs being set horizontally for double windows and being interposed between adjacent windows instead of the upper and lower Windows of the same pair, as in Figs. 1 and 2. The springs are shown at L and the two-part shafts at G K. The shafts have beveled gears 2 secured to their ends, and these mesh with corresponding teeth arranged in the dished centers of pinions 3, as shown clearly in Fig. 4, these pinions being toothed and engaging racks secured to the Suitable means may be with, for locking the sashes in different positions.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A device for balancing two sashes consisting of two pinions one for each sash suitably journaled and connected with their respective sashes, and a torsion-spring common to both pinions set horizontally and connected to said pinions to be put under torsional strain by the movement of either sash, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

W'ASHINGTON BERRY. l/Vitnesses:

M. E. SHIELDS, O. R. BARNETT. 

